Loyalty
by Tahira Saki
Summary: After the disappearance of Voldemort, Lucius, tense and trying to plan how he can he avoid being sent to Azkaban, lets a certain little fact about his relationship to a certain former Death Eater slip to his wife. Mild slash, Lucius/Severus


Warning: This story is slash, as said in the little summery. Slash, for those of you who don't know, is when people put characters of the same gender together in a romantic or lustful setting or pairing. If this offends you, go away. Admittedly, there is only mild slash in my fic, but still.don't like slash, go away before you post silly little flames. I won't care; in fact I will just laugh. To fellow Slashers, this is my first fanfiction, so my apologies if this is crap. Basically, I wrote it for a friend of mine when she was insulting my Sirius/Remus shipping. I got annoyed with her and wrote a Lucius/Severus knowing full well that she would squeal over it. I really don't understand this, but here is the fruit of my annoyance. Enjoy.  
Loyalty  
  
The two figures stood in the pouring rain, their heads close together. The taller of the two, the one with the pale hair, was talking softly, quickly, hands gesturing as he talked. The other was shorter, thinner, with black hair that clung to his head in the rain.  
  
"Please, Severus, He can offer you so much.please." The black-haired young man looked up, his black eyes unreadable and cool.  
  
"Why, Lucius? Why should I join, be loyal." There was a sneer in his voice at the last word. Lucius just sighed and reached out, his fingers sliding underneath Severus' jaw so that he had no choice but to look at him.  
  
"Please.just think about it." Lucius said softly, leaning in slightly so that their lips touched.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lucius was pacing, his hands clasped behind him and his head bowed. Narcissa was pretending to read, her pale gold head bowed over the book.  
  
"If you don't stop pacing you'll wear the rug out." She pointed out finally without looking up, her voice still retaining a French accent from her years at Beauxbantons. He gave her a cold look and then ignored her. She raised her head, pale blue eyes as serene and as unreadable as a statue's, her expression the same.  
  
"What about Draco?" Narcissa asked at last. Lucius stopped and fixed his cold grey eyes on her.  
  
"What about him?" His voice was soft, cold. She stared at him straight in the eyes.  
  
"What's going to happen to him?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"What do you mean, nothing? Voldemort's missing! You're a Death Eater without any leader, the Ministry know who you bloody well are and you're saying nothing's going to happen your only son?" She wasn't shouting, she was speaking very softly but very intensely. She didn't shout, or scream.she had been to well taught to do that. Though she did swear, it was her baby son they were speaking of. Lucius just looked at her, a hint of a sneer on his pale face.  
  
"Narcissa.I can handle it fine without your hysterics. Amazing what the Imperious can do, hmm?" It wasn't a question. She stood up and walked to the library door, unable to stand his cold eyes and scornful tone much longer. She had loved him once.how long again? Two years ago? Loved him so much it had hurt. But now?  
  
"I'm just checking on Draco." Narcissa told him, shutting the door behind her quietly. Smoothing down her dark red robes so that she didn't bite her nails or run her fingers through her hair with frustration, the tall, slim young woman walked through the empty halls of Malfoy Manor to the nursery.  
  
Draco was asleep. For that his mother was thankful. The baby was a white- blond terror, always crawling to the edges of things, always trying to disappear and explore.  
  
"You'll be a right demon when you start flying, won't you love?" she asked him softly, so as not to wake him. Gently brushing aside some of his pale hair Narcissa sighed. Even only a year old he looked so much like his father.same grey eyes, same pale hair.was there anything of her in him at all? She bit her bottom lip, tears filling her eyes. Nothing. If she slit her wrists, or took poison, would any one really notice or care. 'Ah, Mrs. Malfoy killed herself, I hear. Ah well, silly bint's own fault, marrying into that family. How's the weather down your way?' No one would notice.NO! She would not do that.that was the coward's way out. And let no one say that Narcissa Jacqueline Malfoy, nee Jollife, was a coward. And if she were gone, then Draco.he would be wholly in his father's image.  
  
"No, no, not you, ma petite.I can't let that happen to you.he can't have all of you." She nodded to herself, kissed her baby's forehead gently and walked out of the room. To hers. Theirs. Was it still theirs? He hadn't been there in so long, hadn't been home in fact for months, and then only briefly. He was always busy, busy with He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named. It didn't take a genius to work out what was going on.not when Lucius bore the mark on his arm.  
  
It was well past three in the morning when Lucius finally went to their room, though he was still pacing. Narcissa watched him from where she sat at her desk, her back to him but she watched from the mirror. He was frowning, muttering under his breath. Despite herself, she was listening.  
  
"Why did you do it, Severus.Why?" Lucius muttered, his tone not cold but hurting. Betrayed. Narcissa frowned, the wheels in her mind turning quickly  
  
"What did Snape do?" she asked. He whirled around, his eyes filled with pain.  
  
"He betrayed me!" Lucius shouted, and then stopped, realizing what he had said.  
  
"Us.he betrayed us."His voice was uncertain. She slowly got to her feet, the blood draining from her face. That hurt, wounded note in his voice.it went far deeper then mere loyalty switching. This was personal.  
  
"Severus?" Narcissa said slowly, staring at her husband in shock, her mind catching up to her eyes, remembering the little things when she had met Snape, the little things that Lucius had done, said.  
  
"You.you're sleeping with Severus Snape?" He gave her a cold look. It was a look she was well familiar with, but this time it didn't keep her quiet.  
  
"You.and he.how could.he's a slimy, oily little rat!" His hand flew up and just stopped in front of her cheek, visibly shaking from the effort not to hit her. Narcissa stared at him, two spots of red in her otherwise white cheeks, her lips pursed together to stop her from saying anything else, though she too was shaking from the effort not to do more. Lucius' hand went to her cheek, sliding downwards so that he gripped her jaw. She went perfectly still when he touched her, his warm fingers so at odds with his cold appearance.  
  
"Don't. Ever. Speak. Of. Severus. In. That. Way. Again." He said, his voice dripping venomous ice. Releasing her violently so that she fell back into her chair, he spun on his heel and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind him. Narcissa stared after him and choked back a sob, pressing a hand to her mouth, her flesh burning from where his fingers had pressed. She glanced at the mirror. It showed her, a very young woman with tears streaming from pain filled blue eyes down her face while the red marks of Lucius' fingers on her jaw stood out against her pale skin. His fingers, long, elegant fingers that caressed Severus' face while they only bruised hers.she slammed her fist into the mirror, ignoring the pain from her bloodied fingers. Pushing herself away from the desk, she walked over to a cabinet and pulled out some wine. Pouring it into a crystal glass, she drunk it all in one go before pouring herself some more and drinking half of that. Closing her eyes she drew herself up, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Opening them again she looked into the shattered mirror, the fragmented images of herself holding the half-empty wineglass with bloody fingers, images that twisted her reflection into a cruel parody.or perhaps not. Staring into the mirror, Narcissa Malfoy felt her lips twist into a bitter smile. Maybe it showed her perfectly.  
  
Perfectly.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Two figures stood in the pouring rain, their heads close together. Not as young as before, but still young. The shorter, thinner of the two looked up, his black eyes unreadable and cool.  
  
"So, the Ministry let you stay here then, eh Malfoy?" The pale-haired one shrugged slightly.  
  
"I claimed Imperius, that He Who Should Not Be Named put me under the Imperius." The black-haired one made a movement with his hand. The taller, pale-haired man stopped instantly.  
  
"I know that. I was there. I just can't.believe, that they let you go." The black-haired one went on, his voice soft.  
  
"I know." The pale-haired man looked away.  
  
"And your pretty little wife didn't spill either.how remarkable." The soft voice was edged with bitterness, for the loathing was mutual. The pale- haired one sighed.  
  
"She loves Draco.she knows that his future would be ruined if it came out that I was willingly on the Dark Lord's side."  
  
"But you were." The black-haired one pointed out.  
  
"And I said if it came out. Narcissa can keep her mouth shut." There was a long pause as they locked eyes, unreadable black meeting unreadable grey. They were so close, only inches apart.but both standing still. It couldn't last. With a small whimper the black-haired one pulled the taller one to him, desperately kissing him, as if the pale-haired man might disappear.  
  
"Lucius.you're a bloody idiot." Lucius stepped away slightly, one hand sliding down the other's cheek, tilting his head up.  
  
"No more then you, Severus." He whispered before pulling the thinner man closer, kissing him hungrily. And the rain vanished.  
  
Fin. 


End file.
